Pneumatic valve-action



S, L. FISHER.

PNEUMATIC VALVE ACTION. APPLICATION FI'LED JULY 25.1911.

Patented June 24, 1919.

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UNITED STATES PATENT orincn.

STANLEY I. FISHER, OF SAYBROOK, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR, TO THE PRATT READ PLAYER ACTION COMPANY, OF DEEP RIVER, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

PNEUMATIC VALVE-ACTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 24, 1919.

actions and it has particular reference to the.

valves controlling the striker pneumatics of pneumatic player pianos.

As heretofore constructed, valve actions of this type have commonly embodied a double valve controlling an opening for the admission of atmospheric air to the pneumatic, and another opening in communication with the source of reduced pressure. It is common practice to mount the double valve in a structure embodying three main parts, viz. what may be termed a valve block, a suction chest block, and a diaphragm board, all of which run lengthwise of the piano structure for accommodating a number of valves and nounting their corresponding pneumatics, said parts all being suitably interconnected and properly connected with the tracker bar and with the pressure reducing means. It is customary to mount the double valves in the valve block and to actuate them from the diaphragms or pouches through the intermediary of sliding dowels or bumpers mounted in the suction chest block or section, which is intermediate the valve block and the diaphragm board.

The double valve has customarily been made of two separate wooden parts glued together, one of said parts consisting of a disk having an integral stem and the other part consisting of a disk having an opening fitting over the said stem so that the end of the latter projects beyond the second valve portion or disk. The base of the first valve portion or disk is provided with a socket extending up into the stem for guiding the valve on a suitable guide pin, and the projecting end of the stem abuts one end of the controlling dowel or bumper mounted in the adjacent suction chest block. One disadvantage of such construction and arrangement is that if in manufacturing the player action the chambers containing the double valves are cut or bored to different depths, or if there is a variation in the overall 1 lengths of what may be termed the base disks having the integral stems, or if there is a variation in the thickness of the leather used for facing the base disks, considerable difficulty is encountered in arranging and fitting the corresponding dowels or bumpers. While considerable accuracy can be obtained by careful manufacturing, the variations above mentioned are bound to occur, making it necessary to'fit each operating dowel or bumper to the corresponding valve. In practice this has necessitated the cutting off of the individual dowels to various lengths in assembling the action. The individual fitting of the dowels or bumpers is, of course, a tedious and expensive operation.

One of the primary objects of my invention is to provide an improved valve action of the general type above mentioned, in

which the drawbacks to which I have alluded are obviated. More particularly, it is aimed to provide an improved valve action in which all of the valve bumpers can be identical in length and other dimensions regardless of variations in the depth of the valve chamber, and other variations. By my improvement the manufacture of the player action is considerably simplified, and the expense is lowered; and furthermore, the action itself is much more likely to be accurately andproperly constructed.

A further object of the invention is to furnish an improved double valve for pneumatic valve actions.

To these and other ends, the invention con sists in the novel features and combinations of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing,

Figure l is a vertical, transverse section through one of the striker pneumatics having valve actions constructed in accordance with my invention, the section being taken in a plane passing through the axis of one of the double valves and its corresponding dowel or bumper.

Fig. 2 is a section through two of the valves on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail section of a portion of Fig. 1, showing the double valve in the other position, and

Fig. 4. is a detail of the double valve detached.

The player act-ion selected for illustration. includes a longitudinal row of striker ried by the diaphragm board 7. The parts 5, 6 and 7 are suitably interconnected with the part 6 interposed between parts 5 and 7, and in the form shown the p-neumatics 13 (of which only one is illustrated) are arranged transversely of and beneath the valve mechanism, each pneumatic connecting with the corresponding valve chamber 8 by Way of an upwardly directed communicating 2O passage 14 formed partly in the fixed Wall of the pneumatic and partly in the lower portion of the valve block 5. Each of the valve chambers 8 communicateswit'h the atmosphere by' means of a horizontal passage 15 in block 5, communicating with an upright passage 16 which is left open at the upper face of the block 5. )Vithin the horizontal passage15 ismounted a horizontal guide pin 17, which projects into a bore in the double valve 9 for the purpose of centering said double valve to a certain extent;

7 My improved double valve is constructed as follows: One of the valve portions or disks 18, which may be termed the base disk and which is preferably constituted by a wood turning, has an integral stem 19 formed thereon, preferably cylindrical in shape, and this stem serves as a mounting for the second disk or valve portion 20,

which is likewise preferably made of wood and has a central opening fitting snugly over the stem 19, The disk 20 is secured to the stem preferably by glue, and it will be observed that the free end or extremity 19 of the stem projects beyond the disk 20 to an appreciable extent. The stem 19 has an opening or bore 21 leading into the same from its free end and fitting over the guide pin 17 with a certain amount of clearance, as shown in Fig. 3. In the form shown, the bore21 extends'from the free end of the stem 19 throughout the length of said stem and into but not through the disk'lS. The

disk 18 is termed the base disk, because the stem projects integrally from it, and because it serves as the ma or or base portion of 'the structure on which the perforated disk 20 is covered with an annular layer 20 of leather or the like, adapted to make an air tight fit with a valve seat 23 at the inner end of the passage 15, or, in other words, on the rear surface of the valve chamber 8, so as to controlcommunication between the valve chamber and the atmosphere. The valve disk 18, on the other hand, controls communication between the pneumatic and the suction chest 24 'of block 6, which suction chest extends lengthwise of the action and is adapted to be evacuated by suitable pressure reducing means (not shown) connected with a suction tube 25. The suction chest 24 in block 6 is provided with a horizontal intermediate web 26, extending longitudinally of the action and bored out at intervals to form a mounting for the stems '10 of the make contact with the central portions of the valve disks 18 having the leather facings' 18; the dowel stems being, therefore, located centrally of the valve seats 22. On opposite sides of the dowel stem inclined passages 27 extend from the valve seat 22 to the respective portions of the divided suction chest 24:. The block 6 is provided with a plurality of sockets 28 to accommodate the heads 11 of the valves or bumpers. The diaphragm board 7 is provided with a plurality of chambers 29 corresponding to the several valve dowels, and a diaphragm or pouch 11 is stretched over each of these chambers and interposed between blocks 6 and 7 in the usual manner. The tracker tubes ,(not shown) are connected with the respective diaphragm chambers by tubes 30, V

and intermediate the several diaphragms or pouches bleeds 31 are arranged in the usual manner to communicate with the suction chest in the customary way by means of ducts 32, as shown in Fig. 1, by dotted lines. The inner face of the valve block 5 is covered with a layer of leather or like material 33, whereas the adjacent face of block 6 is left smooth. When the parts have been assembled, the block 5 is screwed to block 6 by means of suitable screws (not shown), thereby compressing the leather layer 33 against the smooth face of block 6 to pro vide an air tight joint. Similarly, the diaphragm block 7 is secured by suitable screws (not shown) to the opposite face of the block 6, which last named face is covered with a layer of leather 34.

V The operation of the valve action is in general similar to that of apparatus heretofore inuse. Suction being produced in the V suction chest 24:, the chambers 29 in the diaphragm board back of the diaphragms are evacuated. Air pressure on the double valves 9, therefore, holds them in the position shown in Fig. 1, in which position each disk .18 is seated on seat 22 so as to cut 0E the corresponding pneumatic from the sue its phragm is thrust to the left with reference.

to Fig. 1, thereby cutting off the pneumatic from the atmosphere and establishing communication between it and the suction chest, whereupon the neumatic immediately collapses. After tie note opening in the sheet has completed its passage over the tracker opening, the air in the above mentioned diaphragm chamber is pulled out from the suction chest through the corresponding bleed 31, and the valve is thereby restored to the initial position.

In manufacturing my improved valve action, the valve block 5 with its valves 9, the suction block 6 with its dowels 10, and the diaphragm board 7 with its diaphragms 11 may be manufactured independently of each other as three separate units, and then assembled without alteration. The body of the valve block 5 having been completed by the necessary drilling and boring, the insertion of the guide pins 17, and the application of the facing layer 33, one of the valve disks 20 is placed in position on the seat 23. In this operation, the block is held so that the chamber 8 is uppermost. WVhen the disk 20 has been placed on its seat, a disk 18 with its integral stem 19 is applied, the free open end of the stem 19 being pushed down through the opening in the disk 20 around the pin 17 by exerting pressure on the top of the disk 18, the interior of the opening in disk 20 having been previously coated with glue. The disk 18 and stem 19 are pushed downward until the upper face of the leather 18 has passed below the upper face of the leather 33 to a certain exact distance, which can be readily determined by a suitable gage. After the two valve disks 1820 have reached this relative position, pressure on the upper disk 18 is relieved, and the glue dries with the two disks properly spaced from each other. Of course, there should be a snug fit between the stem 19 and the hole in the disk 20, and preferably the stem is slightly tapered to form a driving fit,,so that when stem 19 has been driven downward into disk 20 to exactly the required extent, as shown by the gage, there will be no further relative displacement of the two disk portions while the glue is in the process of drying.

After the valve block has had the valvesplaced therein, it can be assembled With the suction block, in which the dowels or bumpers have previously been placed, and the diaphragm board can be attached in the usual manner. The dowels or bumpers can all be of identical length and other dimensions, because it is practicable to make the suction block of uniform depth throughout its length, and to make the pouches or diaphragms uniform. It will be remembered that the dowels contact with the flat outer faces of the valve disks 18, which have been gaged to lie at uniform distances from the outer face of the leather layer 33 when the valve disks 20 are seated, and as the dowels make contact with valve surfaces which can be uniformly gaged, it is not necessary to cut the dowels to varying lengthsa tedious and time consuming operation which has heretofore been employed with certain prior constructions. It will be understood, of course, that in the present instance any variation in the depth to which the valve chamber 8 is cut will not vary the length of the dowel, nor will variations in the length of the valve stems affect the length of the dowel. Furthermore, it will be obvious that even if the leather layers on the disks 182O of different valves vary somewhat in thickness, this will not affect the lengths of the dowels inasmuch as the ends of the dowel stems make contact with surfaces which can be uniformly gaged relatively to the dowels regardless of the factors above mentioned. It will be understood, therefore, that by my invention the process of manufacture ofthe valve action is very much simplified, and at the same time the product is improved in accuracy and uniformity.

Various changes may be made in the details of the construction and procedure herein described without departing from the scope of the invention as described in the claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a pneumatic valve action, a double valve comprising a base disk with an integral stem, a second disk fitting over said stem with the free end of the latter protruding, said stem having a guide opening therein at the protruding end.

2. A double valve for pneumatic valve actions, comprising a base disk with an integral stem, and a second disk fitting over and secured to said stem with the free end of said stem protruding beyond said second disk, said stem bored out from said protrud ing end, said base disk being imperforate.

3. A double valve for the purpose described, comprising an imperforate base disk having a fiat seating surface and an integral stem projecting from the opposite side, said stem having a bore leading inward from the free end, and a second disk fitting around and'secured to said stem and having a flat, annular seating surface.

4. A double valve for the purpose described, comprising a base disk having an integral stem projecting therefrom, said base disk being imperforate and said stem having a bore therein drilled from the free end inwardly, and a second disk having an opening into which the stem extends forseouring said second disk rigidly on said stem.

5. A double valve "for the purpose .de+ scribed, comprising a base disk with a fiat, imperforate bottom, a stem projecting fro-m said disk and having an opening at the free end, and a second disk having an opening through which said stem extends.

6. A double valve for the purpose described, comprising a base disk having a flat, imperforate bottom, a stem projecting integrally from said disk on the other side and having an opening in its free end, a second disk having an opening through which said stem extends with the free end of the stem protruding beyond said second disk, said second disk having a fiat, annular seat ing surface.

7. A double valve for the purpose described, comprising two disk portions, a fiat, imperforate coating of soft material on the outer face of one of said disk portions, a flat, annular coating of soft material on the outer face of the other disk portion, and a stem on the second disk portion having a socketed end, projecting through the first disk portion and beyond the outer surface of said last named coating.

8. In a pneumatic valve action, a valve block having a chamber therein with valve seats on opposite walls, a guide pin projecting into said chamber, a double valve in said chamber having two disks to cooperate with the respective seats, one of said disks having an integral stem extending through the other disk and provided at its free end with a socket engaging said guide pin.

9. In a pneumatic valve action, a valve block having a valve chamber therein with seats at opposite sides, a guide pin projecting into said chamber at the central part of one seat, disks to cooperate with the respective seats, having fiat seating surfaces, and a stem integral with one of said .disks and projecting into the other disk and provided at its free end with a socket engaging said guide pin, said other disk being rigidly secured on said stem. 7 r

10. In a pneumatic valve action, a double valve comprising a. wooden base disk with an integral stem, said disk having a flalt bottom, or outer face, and said stem being bored out from the outer end thereof to pre- 7 sent a guide. opening extending through at least a considerable part of the total length of the stem, but terminating short of the bottom of said disk, a second'wooden disk having an opening by which it fits snugly over said stem, whereby said second disk is rigidly secured to said stem, and layers of soft material appliedto the respective outer faces of said disks.

11. In a pneumatic valve action, a member having a valve chamber bored out therein and having a seat at the bottom or back of said chamber, a guide pin located centrally of said seat, a second member closing the top or outer portion of the valve chamher and presenting a second valve seat, a

double valve in said chamber comprising disk portions to cooperate with the respective seats, one of sa1d disk portlons having an open ended stem projecting laterally therethrough and engaging said guide pin, and an actuating stem slidably mounted in said second member and contacting at its end with the other disk portion of said valve.

' 1 12. In a pneumatic valve action, a mem-' double valve in said chamber comprising disk portions to cooperate withthe respec-' tive seats, one of said diskportlons having an open ended stem pro ecting laterally therefrom and engaging said guide pin, and

an actuating stem slidably mounted in said second member and contaotlng at its end with the other disk portion of said valve,

the valve stem engaging said guide pin'being integral with said other disk portion andextending through and beyond the first disk portion.

13. In a pneumatic valve action, a valve block having seats at opposite sides, a guide pin located centrally of one of said seats, and a double valve having disk portions to cooperate with the respective seats, one of said disk portions having an open ended stem or stud projecting therefrom and engaging said guide pin, and the other disk portion having a flat, imperforate outer surface. V

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand on the 23rd day of July, 1917.

STANLEY L, FISHER.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

1 Washington, .D. G. 

